I remember first starting school at Clearwater Christian College in the spring of 2013. When I got there, I thought at first I made a huge mistake. There’s no reason that I should be here, and everyone is in their own groups. It was during that time when I really started doing a lot of prayer as opposed to just talking about it or doing it occasionally. I really needed God to make himself real to me. So I remember, almost to the point of challenging God but still fearing him, asking him, “If you want me here at Clearwater, please make it known.” God could have answered that prayer however he wanted. He brought a fellow student into my room one night with the very reason to come talk to me. It’s from this conversation that spawned many more significant ones in my life. So the running joke with me was that this guy was a Charismatic. He didn’t claim to have prophecy but instead just a message from God for someone. Not a new message like adding to God’s word but instead one he believed a specific person needed. Well I would joke with him and tell him I want a prophecy too. He told me two words that I still am really learning in the Bible and believe I will be until the day that I day. The two words he said to me were “stay thirsty.”

My immediate reaction was one of joking and I responded with “what kind of prophecy is that?” Or “come on give me something cool.” I soon realized he wasn’t kidding and so I asked what stay thirsty even meant. He told me that it was my journey I had to walk with God to figure out. Now, looking back on that conversation I often wonder if that’s the reaction that the Jews had when prophets would speak to them with a message from God. Just blow it off like it’s nothing and expect an immediate answer and solution. God doesn’t work that way, though. He tells us what we need to hear but the journey of growth is not a short one. So let me share with you how the two words “Stay Thirsty” have really impacted my life.

So after the conversation grew to one of seriousness I said, “Fine, can I at least have direction on what to read or even to look to?” He told me 1 Samuel, and that’s the most he ever said about that. I’d come to him with what I thought the answer was but he’d encourage me to look deeper and search more. So I read through 1 Samuel the first time and pulled some pretty good things out of it. But I read it again and again.

Recently, I just continued this study and I noticed a trend. In John 4, we read the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. We hear how she can never thirst again. It drove me to wonder what in the world did Jesus mean by that. Then I noticed a trend. Whenever thirst came up, shortly before or after within the span of time resulted in what I call a “wilderness experience.” This is a time when our faith is really tested by God. It’s either because of a result of sin or maybe because God wants to grow us. Either way, or for other reasons, it’s for the purpose of bringing glory to God. I thought of what I consider probably the most infamous and best example of a wilderness experience. That being Jesus himself. When he was in the desert and tempted by Satan. Not tempted by him in ways we wouldn’t understand but instead in ways that we sometimes desire. We wish we could be told those things, and sadly enough a lot of us might even take Satan up on the offer because it seems so sweet! Then I started wondering, how many other Biblical characters do we see go through this “wilderness experience?” So I don’t think call it staying thirsty anymore. I believe that “Stay Thirsty” can also be translated into a “wilderness experience.” So really quickly I just want to highlight three major characters (other than Jesus) who went through this time that I think we can really learn from in maybe more than just one way. Then after highlight three of these characters summarize it up with what all of this even means.

1. Joshua (Positive Example)

This man is hailed as one of the greatest characters in the Old Testament. Almost even considered like a bible superhero. His name can literally be translated as “savior” and also another form of the name Jesus. So it’s very fitting to start with him. Now automatically, you might be thinking about Joshua and the Walls of Jericho. So much good has happened to Joshua how could that be a wilderness experience? I mean God was practically giving him the Promised Land at that point right? I would disagree with you on the fact that different things occurred in the process such as losing to the small town of AI than having to stone a man and his whole family. I’m sure those are not easy things but those only scratch the service with where I want to go. I want you to think differently about Joshua though. In fact, I want you to think about the book of Exodus and that’s where I want to highlight Joshua’s wilderness experience.

So who was Joshua? Well, he was next to Arron as being a pretty important piece of the puzzle to helping Moses. So who was Joshua? Well, he was the son of Nun who came out of the tribe of Ephraim, Joseph’s second son. During the time of the Exodus, Joshua would have taken part and been around for all of it. That means he would have been part of the slavery system put on by the Egyptians. Imagine going through that as a child then seeing God work through plagues and parting the Red Sea. Pretty crazy for someone to go through. Well not only that but the first mention of Joshua comes in Exodus 17:8 when Moses not only says he’s part of the group fighting the Amalekites but he is part of the choosing process for who will go out and fight. This is happening during the 40 years that Israel has been banished from the Promised Land for 40 years. This guy, Joshua, has come out of slavery and then thrown into the middle nowhere to wander and eat mana. Now I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty hard to comprehend. I whine about some bad for a couple of months and this guy Joshua went through this for more than 40 years. I can’t imagine all the struggles he would have had with trying to follow God. But he stayed on the side of Moses and continued to move forward. The next big account we read of Joshua is when he goes with Moses to get the two stone tablets for the 10 commandments. Joshua is seeing God work in ways we will never see. At the same time, God has him in a “wilderness experience” for about 80 years of his life. We see God work and fall away after just a week of bad. So probably the most positive example is one of Joshua. Though it seemed hard and I’m sure he struggled, he still followed God through the godly example of Moses. God used that 80 years to prepare Joshua to lead the people of Israel. So what is one way of responding to a time in the wilderness? Continue to walk towards him even when it seems tough. God is preparing us for something so much more than we can comprehend for His glory.

2. Job (Neutral Example)

Anyone who has been in the church for a short amount of time is bound to hear about Job and if he isn’t brought up then I’m sorry you have been deprived of such an awesome book that is found within the Old Testament. So Job is a guy who is super wealthy, very much well off, and has a huge family. The Bible tells us in Job 1:1 that he was “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” If Job were here today, he would be considered like the best pastor in the world. One day, Satan talks to God, wanting to try and do something to get back at God. God ask Satan if he has looked at Job his servant. Satan is convinced that Job only follows God because of what he has. So throughout time God allows Satan to do so many things to Job except for killing him. Satan takes away Job’s family through death, takes away all his wealth and taking Job’s health by giving him different sores and sicknesses. Job was left with nothing. This is an extreme example of a wilderness experience but how often does God take things out of our life that we love that are not even bad. His point is to draw us closer to him. Job isn’t perfect through this time, though. As discouragement starts to kick in and his friends tell him to look away from God, he starts questioning God from the wrong angle. Job took questioning to a level of "God better answer right now" instead of allowing it to be a question that he waits upon God for. God does answer Job though and even restores back to him what he lost but in a bigger amount. I don’t want to say that Job was better off in the end because he did lose family but God was still faithful to Job even when it almost seemed to Job that God may or may not be there.

Questioning God in the wilderness isn’t wrong but don’t expect God to answer at that moment. Don’t bring it to the point of trying to tell God what to do.

3. Judas (Negative Example)

The final example I want to look at just briefly is Judas. This, in my opinion, the worst way to respond to a wilderness experience. Judas is a former disciple of Jesus found in all four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He was the one who turned in Jesus to the authorities that eventually led to Jesus punishment and death on the cross. Now it’s unfair to say that Jesus is dying is Judas fault and also not true, since Christ mentioned it would happen way before this and planned for it to happen so He could save the world. So Judas, thank you for playing the part in God’s plan. Judas was the money holder (or treasurer) for Jesus and the Disciples. His was also a thief as it tells us in John 12. The name Judas literally means “praise God.” The reason I think Judas is a great example of a wilderness experience is his actions before and after the betrayal of Jesus. You don’t just wake up one day and decide that you’re going to betray someone in order to send them to their death. There was inner turmoil going on for some time about whether or not he was going to do this. That only brings in the first half of the wilderness. The second half is the remorse that he had felt afterward when he betrayed Jesus. So Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (equivalent to around $600) which is only around five weeks of a working wage. Judas got a little over a month of work for betraying Jesus. He tried to return this money afterwards but was unsuccessful as the Pharisee’s would refuse to accept it. Judas could have turned this around though to find salvation. Even Peter became the head of the church and he denied Christ three times. The sad part is Judas went on his way and instead of looking for God, he hung himself from a tree, thus committing suicide. The worst possible way to respond to a wilderness time. God doesn’t say it will be easy, but as we see in the lives of Joshua and Job, they are rewarded for their endurance during this time. Judas did not reap these benefits but instead killed himself while reaping the worst of what he did. Judas never could truly see what Christ was here to do.

So the point of “Stay Thirsty” which I believe is better translated to as a “wilderness experience” is just as I said earlier. Look deeper into God’s word, develop that thirst to learn more and never stop. Keep the faith and develop that endurance. Just keep on going and going. It’s a life process that we can never fulfill and you know, I don’t think it’s one we should fulfill. I say that because if we do than we stop studying God and wanting to know more about Him. The point is to keep studying God through his word and develop that prayer life. Definitely not an overnight thing. So next time you see your wilderness experience look to these three characters. There are tons of more such as Joseph, David, Samson, Paul, Peter and so much more, but these are three examples I like to look to.